1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a producing history managing method and system for a photosensitive sheet package. More particularly, the present invention relates to a producing history managing method and system for a photosensitive sheet package, in which producing history data can be checked easily and correctly without errors.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
There are medical photosensitive films, which are photosensitive sheets including X-ray film used directly for photographing an image, and image recording film for use with an image outputting device such as a laser imager and the like. To package the photosensitive sheets, a plurality of the photosensitive sheets are stacked on one another. A protective cover of thick cardboard is used to sandwich the stack of the photosensitive sheets. The photosensitive sheets with the protective cover is wrapped in a packaging bag. Then a packaging case is used to accommodate the packaging bag with the photosensitive sheets. A plurality of the packaging cases are contained in a container for shipment.
A system for producing and packaging the photosensitive sheets includes a slitting process, a cutting/stacking process, a bag inserting process, a case inserting process and a container inserting process. In the slitting process, photosensitive sheet web with a great width is unwound from a master roll, and slitted into continuous sheets with a regular width of the product, to form slit rolls. In the cutting/stacking process, each continuous sheet is unwound from a slit roll, and cut to obtain the photosensitive sheets. The photosensitive sheets are stacked in a regular number of sheets, and then sandwiched by the protective cover. In the bag inserting process, the photosensitive sheets with the protective cover is inserted into the packaging bag. In the case inserting process, the packaging bag is inserted into the packaging case. In the container inserting process, packaging cases in a predetermined number are contained in a container of containerboard.
The photosensitive sheets at the time of the shipment is provided with producing history data for the purpose of defects in the product on sale. A technique of managing the producing history is disclosed in JP-A 5-051021. In a cross cutting process, a continuous sheet is cut crosswise. The photosensitive sheets are stacked for a unit of packaging. Data required for the slit roll stored in the control device is transferred to devices in a packaging process which is installed after the cross cutting process. In the packaging process, the photosensitive sheets are wrapped in the packaging bag. Also the required data of the slit roll is printed on the packaging bag. The producing history of the photosensitive sheets is managed by checking the printed data of the packaging bag in comparison with the required data of the slit roll.
All the photosensitive sheets packaged together are set in the image outputting device. After the setting, the packaging bag and the packaging case are discarded. Thus, the method of JP-A 5-051021 has a problem in that the producing history cannot be checked even if failure of the photosensitive sheets is detected at the time of development in the image outputting device. It is impossible in a commercial point of view to overcome the problem of dealing the defective products of the photosensitive sheets.
If failure in the product in the course of distribution, the container and the packaging case must be opened before the producing history data on the packaging bag can be observed. This causes very low efficiency in checking the producing history. Furthermore, the checking is obliged to open the packaging case even containing completely acceptable products. It is impossible to ship the packaging case as merchandise when opened.
To transfer the data from the cross cutting machine to the packaging process, data tracking is used. In the data tracking, a state of feeding of objects is detected, so as to shift the data by means of the software. To detect the objects, it is general to use a photoelectric switch. However, there is a problem in that errors are likely to occur in the detection of the photoelectric switch due to offsetting of an optical axis and sticking of fine dust or particles. Information related to the data tracking is likely to deviate.
When data are transferred between devices of which control units are different from one another, time differences of the data tracking are likely to occur due to delay in the communication. To suppress the time differences of the data tracking, hand shake is used in the data communication software. Also, error detecting software is required for detecting errors in the data tracking. This complicates the control for the transfer of the data. Furthermore, operators must operate manually between the processes typically when there is no automation in the entirety of the line. Thus, it is impossible to transfer the data.
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a producing history managing method and system for a photosensitive sheet package, in which producing history data can be checked easily, and with sufficient correctness without errors.
In order to achieve the above and other objects and advantages of this invention, a producing history managing method for a photosensitive sheet package is provided. The photosensitive sheet package includes a protective cover for sandwiching plural photosensitive sheets stacked on one another, to obtain a cover-fitted sheet stack, a packaging bag for containing the cover-fitted sheet stack, and a packaging case for containing the packaging bag with the cover-fitted sheet stack contained therein. In the producing history managing method, producing history data is printed to the protective cover, the producing history data being obtained according to producing or packaging of the photosensitive sheets. The producing history data is printed to the packaging bag. The producing history data is printed to the packaging case.
Furthermore, plural packaging cases are contained into an outer packaging container, each of the plural packaging cases having the packaging bag contained therein. The producing history data are printed to the packaging container.
Furthermore, the producing history data is read from the protective cover, the producing history data being adapted to printing to the packaging bag. The producing history data is read from the packaging bag, the producing history data being adapted to printing to the packaging case. The producing history data is read from the packaging case, the producing history data being adapted to printing to the packaging container.
The plural photosensitive sheets are obtained by cutting a continuous sheet, and the producing history data is obtained according to obtaining the photosensitive sheets by cutting.
In another aspect of the invention, a producing history managing system for a photosensitive sheet package is provided, including a sheet cutter for producing plural photosensitive sheets by cutting a continuous sheet. A covering machine loads a protective cover with the plural photosensitive sheets stacked on one another in a sandwiched manner, to obtain a cover-fitted sheet stack. An enveloping machine contains the cover-fitted sheet stack in a packaging bag. A packing machine contains the packaging bag into a packaging case with the cover-fitted sheet stack contained therein. In the producing history managing system, a first printer prints producing history data to the protective cover, the producing history data being obtained according to operation of at least one of the sheet cutter and the covering machine. A second printer prints the producing history data to the packaging bag. A third printer prints the producing history data to the packaging case.
Furthermore, a shipment packing machine contains plural packaging cases into an outer packaging container, each of the plural packaging cases having the packaging bag contained therein. A fourth printer prints the producing history data to the packaging container.
Furthermore, a first data reader reads the producing history data from the protective cover, the producing history data being adapted to printing to the packaging bag. A second data reader reads the producing history data from the packaging bag, the producing history data being adapted to printing to the packaging case. A third data reader reads the producing history data from the packaging case, the producing history data being adapted to printing to the packaging container.
Furthermore, a production control unit manages operation of the sheet cutter, the covering machine, the enveloping machine and the packing machine, and outputs the producing history data.
The production control unit further determines first auxiliary data related to containing of the cover-fitted sheet stack into the packaging bag, and determines second auxiliary data related to containing of the packaging bag into the packaging case. Furthermore, a first memory stores first renewed history data by adding the first auxiliary data to the producing history data. A second memory stores second renewed history data by adding the second auxiliary data to the first renewed history data. The second printer prints the first renewed history data to the packaging bag, and the third printer prints the second renewed history data to the packaging case.
The producing history data for the packaging container is determined by selection among plural sets of the second renewed history data printed on the plural packaging cases.
The production control unit further determines third auxiliary data related to containing of the packaging case into the packaging container. Furthermore, a third memory stores third renewed history data determined by adding the third auxiliary data to the second renewed history data. The fourth printer prints the third renewed history data to the packaging container.
The second data reader reads the first renewed history data, and the third data reader reads the second renewed history data.
Furthermore, a web slitter produces the continuous sheet by slitting web from a master roll, to wind the continuous sheet to form a slit roll, wherein the sheet cutter is supplied with the continuous sheet by unwinding from the slit roll. A production managing unit manages the production control unit and the web slitter.
Furthermore, a data imprinting device is positioned upstream from the covering machine, for recording the producing history data to the photosensitive sheets by exposure.
The producing history data is a bar code.
The sheet cutter, the covering machine, the enveloping machine, the packing machine and the shipment packing machine respectively output first data representing a production number of the photosensitive sheets or the cover-fitted sheet stack, or a failure product number of failing ones of the photosensitive sheets or the cover-fitted sheet stack. The production control unit determines second data according to the first data, and the second data is adapted to managing a producing history.
The production managing unit creates producing history managing table data in which plural values of the producing history data are arranged in a matrix form, and are associated with respectively one particular cover-fitted sheet stack.
The producing history data has plural portions including a slit number data portion associated with the slit roll. A packaging unit data portion is associated with the cover-fitted sheet stack.
The plural portions further include an instruction data portion adapted to designating a post-treating step to be effected after operation of at least one of the sheet cutter, the covering machine, the enveloping machine, the packing machine and the shipment packing machine.
The post-treating step is at least one of plural steps including a step of producing a sticker in association with the cover-fitted sheet stack, and a step of, if the photosensitive sheets or the cover-fitted sheet stack is detected failing, eliminating the photosensitive sheets or the cover-fitted sheet stack being failing.
The matrix form includes plural lines and plural columns, each of the plural columns is associated with the slit roll, each of the plural lines is associated with one series of the photosensitive sheet at a predetermined number.
A set of the producing history managing table data is associated with the master roll being single.
The plural portions further include a producing lot number data portion associated with the master roll.